The present invention relates to hydrogen production, more particularly to methods and apparatuses for producing hydrogen from hydrogenous-carbonaceous substances such as natural gas (e.g., methane, ethane, or propane), organic waste, gasoline, diesel fuel, oil, coal, methanol, and ethanol.
Hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, usually occurs in nature as an element included in a compound (e.g., hydrocarbonaceous or hydrous) that also includes one or more non-hydrogen elements. Pure hydrogen is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, colorless, and easily flammable, and burns in daylight with no visible flame.
In order to be a standalone element (H2) that is useful as a fuel, hydrogen must be broken from its bonds with the accompanying element(s). Known methodologies for breaking these bonds include reformation, biomass gasification, coal gasification, and electrolysis of water. Generally speaking, reforming involves the splitting of hydrogen and carbon so as to yield a mixture (known as a “synthesis gas,” or “syn-gas”) that contains hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO). The resultant carbon monoxide (CO) can then be caused to react with steam (gaseous H2O) so as to turn the carbon monoxide (CO) into carbon dioxide (CO2) and release more hydrogen (H2). Electrolysis involves the use of electricity to split water (liquid H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). Contemplated but as yet undeveloped methodologies for producing hydrogen include photo-electricity (involving the splitting of water via sunlight), photobiology (involving the splitting of water via sunlight, using organisms such as algae or bacteria), and thermal dissociation (involving the application of extreme heat, via, e.g., solar power or nuclear power, to split hydrogenous compounds without generating carbon dioxide).
Fossil fuels are beset with environmental and economic concerns. Hydrogen fuel represents a viable alternative to fossil fuels, albeit hydrogen is not a perfect fuel. Safety issues are concomitant production, storage and use of hydrogen fuel, and efficiency/cost-effectiveness deficits remain in current hydrogen production implementations. An advantage of hydrogen as a fuel is its capability of being produced from a variety of feed-stocks, including fossil fuels, water, and organic matter. Efforts continue in many countries to improve hydrogen production in terms of safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.